Improvement in car-starters



l. l. KELLER.

Bar-Starters.

PatentedMay 12,1874.

NITED PATENT FFIGE JOHN J. KELLER, OF DERBY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO HIM'SELEF AND HENRY T. MOOOUN, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-STARTERS.

Specifieation forming pill'l of Letten; Patent N0. 150,864, datecl May 12,1874; application filed February 7, 1874.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known tl1at I, JOHN J. KELLER, of Derloy, in tl1e oounty of New H aveu ancl State of Connectiout, l1ave inventecl oertain Improvements in Running Gear for ltailway- Oars, of whieh the following i s a specifioation:

This invention relates 130 eertain improvements in street-oars, in Whioh a longitudiually- 1noving truok-frame is eombined With tl1e main o1 floor frame for overeoming the inertia of tl1e Gar in.starting the same. The invention oons'ists of rotating boxes on the ends of the axles, whiol1 are arranged in slottecl bearings attaohed to the 1nain or floor frame, and upon wl1ioh the latter rests, so that when tl1e oar first starts the main frame travels a short distanoe 011 said rotating boxes inclependent of the truok-frame, as Will hereinafter appear.

In the aoeompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a top view 0f my improved running-gear. Fig. 2 is a botton1 view of the same. Fig.3 is a side view. Fig. 4 is also a sicle view 011 an enlarged scale and partly in seetion. Fig. 5 is a vertioal seotion taken in tl1e line x x of Fig. 4.

The main or floor frame of t11e oar is composed of two sicle1ails, AA and two end1aieces, A A, upon which the body of the oar rests. The inclepenclent longitudinally-moving truokframe is of similar forma and oonstruotion witl1 side rails B B ancl end pieoes B B and a oe11- tral oross bar, B The under sicle of the truck-frame is providecl witl1 boxes 01 beari11gs b, which reoeive the axles at points 011 the inne1 sides of or between the wheels, instead of attl1e ends of the axles, so as to merely hold the axles in their proper relative positions without sustaining the body of the car o1 any 0th er weiglxt than that of tl1e truoklrame itself. 'lhe end pieces B of tl1e truokframe projeot beyond tl1e sicle rails B, and are provided Witl1 friotion-rollers b, whioh bear against the immer sides of tl1e side rails A A of the mein frame as the truek-frame moves 1on gitudinally. 011 the uncler side of the truokframe is arranged the brake meohanism, 0011- sisting of a lever, c, pivoted to the oross-bar B and oonneeted, by rocls d, With the inner end's of levers e, pivoted to the end pieces B B and bearing with tl1eir outer ende against the brake-shoes f, wl1iol1 a1e piwted to tl1e truCk-frame in any suitable manner. T0 the outer ends of the rods d are attached tl1e brake-ohains, whioh are fastened to drums g 011 the lower ends of the brake-shafts h. 'll1e outer ends of the axles are journaled in rollers I, whiol1 serve as journal-boxes, and. also as friotion-rollers. These rollers engage with bearing-surfaoes, oonsisting of metal plates L, attaol1ed to the under sides of tl1e sirle rails A A of the main frame, so that said main frame rests upon said rollers, and is allowed to move baokward ancl forward thereon to a oertain extent, its motion being limitecl by means of stops l, Whi0h projeot downward from the ends of the plates L. Lateral displaoement of tl1e rollers is preventecl by means of fla1nges 011 their ends engaging with the eclges of the plates, ancl downward displaoement is prevented by means of keepers k.

When tl1e handle is turned to apply the brake, the winding of tl1e ohai11 around the drum operates through the rocls d upon the levers e, so as to oause their outer ends to press tl1e shoes f against the faces of tl1e wheels, and at the same time it draws back the main frame and oar-body relatively to the truok-frame, 01, in other words, it retards the motion of the oar-body, and allows tl1e truokframe 130 move forward relatively thereto 1111- til arrested by the rollers I ooming in oontaot witl1 the forward stops l.

When the brake is relea-sed and the team started, tl1e main frame ancl ear-body mwe forward a short distance inclependently of the truok-frame; 01, rather, the friotion is divided between the rollers I ancl the axle-journals, so tl1at while tl1e oar is traveling a clistanoe equal 130 about half its lengtl1 tl1e roller's I revolve under the plates L until arrestecl by the rear stops l, the main frame movingforward relatively to the truok-frame, and at a greater sp eed, until said rollers bring up against said stops.

By this eon strnotion and arrangement of parts tl1e cliffioulty of overoomingthe inertia at starting the ear is lessened and the strain upon tl1e team is reducecl.

Wl1at I olaim as ne w and. desire to seoure by Letters Patent, is

l. The rotating boxes I 011 the ends of the axles of the truck-fram, placed in the slotted moving truck-frame and main frame, the piv- A, all eombined t0 operate substantially as shown am]. described.

2. The stops Z and keepers k, in combination with the I0116I' journal-boxes am]. bearingsurfaces L, substantially as shown and. described.

3. In combination Witl1 the longitudinallybearing-plates L attached 130 the main fran1e oted 1ever c, rods d, b1ake ehains am]. levers e,

bearing against the brake-shoesf, substantially zus shown and described.

JOHN J. KELLER.

Vitnesses l\/IICHAEL RYAN, HENRY T. BROWN. 

